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Why Celebrate?

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Why Celebrate?

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TEACHER Elise Gordon
YEAR
5-6
LEVEL
3
DURATION
1-2 Weeks
Strand Achievement Objectives to be Assessed Learning Outcomes
Culture and Heritage
How practices of different cultural groups vary but reflect similar purposes. 		Students will be able to:
- Identify celebrations that vary across cultural groups
- Identify the purposes of these celebrations
- Discuss how these celebrations have similar purposes
Processes Learning Outcomes
Inquiry
Collect, process and communicate information about human society. 		Process information using appropriate conventions.
Requirements
Settings: New Zealand
Perspectives: Multicultural
Essential Learning About New Zealand Society (ELANZS): 8. Characteristics, roles and cultural expressions of the various groups living in New Zealand.

Assessment
Assessment Activity
Assessment Schedule

TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Smiley Select and adapt these learning activities to best meet the needs of your students, and to fit the time available:

  1. Introducing Celebrations
    Read a story about celebrations, a suitable story would be Let the Celebrations Begin By Margaret Wild.
    • Why did the people in the story celebrate?
    • How did they celebrate?
    • What do you celebrate at home?
    • What do we celebrate at school?
    • What does the whole of New Zealand celebrate?
    • Can you think of anything which other countries might also celebrate as well as New Zealand?

    Record these answers either in groups or as a class on the introducing celebrations chart.

  2. Celebration Time Line
    Think about all of the celebrations you have participated in this year. What sorts of things have you celebrated?

    Make celebration time lines which list all the things we either have celebrated this year or are going to celebrate in the months to come.

    It may be useful to model this first using the teacher's own experiences or the example given.

    Give children an opportunity to take the time lines home and share with their parents and add anything else they or their parents can think of. In buzz groups share the different experiences we have had.

    Are there any more celebrations we can add to our celebration charts made in the previous lesson?

  3. Why celebrate?
    Why do you think people celebrate different occasions? Discuss ideas as a class.

    Take one of the celebrations listed in your celebration time line and give an explanation of the celebration, the ways you celebrated this occasion and the reasons why you think it may have been celebrated. Present your ideas on the all about chart.

    Using resources inquire into your chosen celebration and find out alternative purposes for this celebration. Add these findings to your explanation.

    Present the results of the mini inquiry to peers either as a class or in groups.

  4. Comparing Reasons
    Buddy up with a class member who chose a different celebration to you. Complete the venn diagram to show purposes for the celebration that were different and the same on different occasions. After 10 minutes have each pair share with another pair. Follow with a class discussion on similar and different purposes of celebrations in our own experience.

  5. Finding out about celebrations in other places
    Have students in small groups work in pairs to look at the same celebration or event in different settings or cultures.

    You could use the celebrations with resources listed below or have the children come up with their own idea of a celebration to investigate.

    Group 1: Weddings
    Please Note: Some of the following sites are more suitable for teacher reference as they give detailed explanations. We suggest you read them thoroughly and be selective of what information you use from the sites.

    Journal Stories

    • "My Uncle Leo's Getting Married" By M. Scott. Pt 3 No 3 1991
    • "Pirihira, Kaiawhina" By T Pehimana. SL 1989.
    • "A Very Special Day" By A. Ruhe_Hodge Pt 3 No 2 1993

    Group 2: New Year Celebrations

    Journal Stories

    • "The Chinese New Year" By J Lau and L Kaun, YPW, 1997.
    • "Festival of Farmers" By E Bryant, Pt 1 No 4 1987
    • "Happy New Year" By R Lim, Pt 1 No 4 1986
    • "Teasing the Lion" By J Thomson, Pt 2 No 3 1991

    Group 3: Christmas

    Journal Stories

    • "Christmas Eve" By R Fyleman Pt 1 No 3 1982
    • "Fairy Dust" By M. Gould Pt 1 No 5 1998
    • "Mary Christmas" By J. Rohloff Pt 1 No 1 1986
    • "White Christmas" By E. K. Va'ai Pt 4 No 3 1997

    Group 4: Harvest Festivals

  6. Celebration Presentation

    Assessment Activity
    Assessment Schedule

    The groups then make a presentation (such as a poster, handbook, hyperstudio presentation, role play, power-point, or oral presentation) to the class with what they have found out about similarities and differences within their celebration across different cultures. It may be useful to develop criteria with the children before setting them off on the task and have children self-evaluate themselves against this list.

RESOURCES

Electronic

Print

  • Kindersley, A. (1997). Children Just Like Me: Celebrations! DK Publishing: New York.

  • Journal Stories:
    • "Hari Raya Eidil Fitri" By A Mohamed Pt 4 No 2 1996 A muslim celebration in Malaysia to mark the end of Ramadan
    • "What a Feast" By J MacGregor Pt 1 No 2 1997 Preparations for the celebrations around nina harvesting in Tonga.
    • "First Haircut" By L Fuemana-Foa'I Pt 4 No 3 1998 A Niuean haircutting ceremony held in Auckland
    • "White Sunday in Samoa" By A. Kuresa Pt 4 No 2 1996



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